Gerald E. Connolly

Gerald E. Connolly
U.S. House of Representatives
(D-11th/V)

Congressman Gerald E. 'Gerry' Connolly represents the 11th District of Virginia. His district encompasses most of Fairfax County, all of the city of Fairfax, and part of eastern Prince William County. Connolly was first elected in 2008 and serves on the Committee of Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Government reform.

Connolly worked from 1979 through 1989 with the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In 1995, Connolly was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and in 2003 was elected Chairman of the Board.

Connolly is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of centrist Democrats. In 2007, He rejected calls that Fairfax County actively crack down on illegal immigration. He also opposed Prince William County's moves to cut undocumented immigrants' access to services and to allow police to check a suspect's immigration status. "We're not going to demagogue," he said. "We're not going to essentially roll back the welcome mat. That's not why I ran for office and that isn't who we are."

Connolly was an original cosponsor of House Resolution 267. The resolution, which recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Nowruz and expresses appreciation to Iranian Americans for their contributions to society, passed the U.S. House of Representatives in March of 2010.